The BBC2 controller, Janice Hadlow, has commissioned an ambitious new six-part crime drama from the writer of Marion & Geoff.

Hadlow told MediaGuardian.co.uk that she hoped The Shadow Line, written and directed by Hugo Blick, will have the scope and ambition of some of the landmark BBC2 series of the past, including Our Friends in the North, Smiley's People and Edge of Darkness.

"What they all have in common is they are quite complicated, intelligent narratives but they are entertaining at the same time" she said.

Hadlow emphasised that Shadow Line will sit alongside the one-off dramas BBC2 has shown in recent years, which include the acclaimed Five Minutes of Heaven, about the troubles in Northern Ireland, broadcast in May this year.

She described Shadow Line as a thriller full of cliffhangers which does not follow the usual conventions of the genre. "The narrative takes place partly in the world of the police, who are investigating a murder. There is a parallel story … in the criminal world," she said.

Hadlow added that she wanted to resurrect BBC2's reputation for making series that "hook people in".

Blick's previous work includes Marion & Geoff, a dark BBC2 comedy starring Rob Brydon, which he co-wrote and directed, and comedy Sensitive Skin, another BBC2 show.

He will produce the six-part drama, which will consist of hour-long episodes, as well as writing and directing it.

The Shadow Line is due to be scheduled at 9pm on a weekday. The series is unlikely to be broadcast before 2011 and casting has not yet begun.

Earlier this week, the BBC director of vision, Jana Bennett, announced a 50% increase in BBC2's drama budget over three years, in addition to a £25m increase in spending on children's shows over the same period. The extra investment will need to be approved by the BBC Trust.

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A look at the career of TV writer, producer, director - and occasional actor - Hugo Blick, whose The Last Word Monologues have won critical praise, adding to an already impressive comedy CV including Marion & Geoff